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Exactly...Terrible leadership, terrible public policy.
The fee appears to be for county residents whose homes are outside of the city limits. I don't see why it is the city's government's responsibility to provide free services for non-residents.
It's not that the city government should necessarily be responsible for serving residents outside of city limits, it's the town reps or county reps leadership and/or the state leadership should never have let it get down to that in the first place.
My guess would be that the area where this guy lived does not have the means to generate enough funding to provide the service, and the city was nice enough to offer it at a fee.
It's not the city's fault, and it's not the county's fault.
If there isn't enough funding, there isn't enough funding.
The people in this man's area ought to just be thankful that there's a department in the area willing to cover them at all in these economic times where funding is so short as it is.
It's a small price to pay for the peace of mind, when you otherwise have no other option.
I have no issue with that, or with requiring a fee. But the fee should be a mandatory tax and the coverage complete.
It's the same setup as outlying townships here that use State Troopers as their police protection. Yes, the State was kind enough to offer. Yes, the municipalities contract for those services and yes, they tax to pay that fee. The same goes for contracted fire protection services for those outlying townships from the larger towns and boroughs in the area. It's a negotiated contract of service for fee, with coverage mandatory and paid by tax. The whole concept of contracting for voluntary fee for service fire or police protection makes my head spin.
The only real difference though, is that there are some who choose not to pay.
I'd say that is a freedom I'm ok with.
But choose wisely and live with your choice.
This is an anecdotal wake-up call for those of you who seem to think that money is endless in this country and we can all get something for free.
There are areas where money is not endless, and budgets are not infinite.
A solution was offered, which may not be perfect in everyone's view, but it's a solution nonetheless. It's a hell of a lot better than the city simply telling the non-residents that they're shit out of luck.
It's the municipal entity on the receiving end who dropped the ball on this one. It's their responsibility to provide for public services by operation or contract. Sounds to me like outsourcing payment to the City fire department by voluntary subscription service was the easy way out for them rather than managing a tax-based system through their own offices. Some people just don't give a shit.
This is an anecdotal wake-up call for those of you who seem to think that money is endless in this country and we can all get something for free.
There are areas where money is not endless, and budgets are not infinite.
A solution was offered, which may not be perfect in everyone's view, but it's a solution nonetheless. It's a hell of a lot better than the city simply telling the non-residents that they're shit out of luck.
It's the municipal entity on the receiving end who dropped the ball on this one. It's their responsibility to provide for public services by operation or contract. Sounds to me like outsourcing payment to the City fire department by voluntary subscription service was the easy way out for them rather than managing a tax-based system through their own offices. Some people just don't give a shit.
Which ultimately becomes the responsibility of the people who elected the representatives.
If the people want a tax-based contract with the city, they can lobby their local reps for it.
We can't always just sit back and expect the government to magically make all the perfect choices FOR us.
just like a demonRat. won't pay for a service, wants the service, expects it for free, and expects conservatives to pay for their service. Thanks for posting basementdweller. It's typical of demonRat behavior.
What county services?just like a demonRat. won't pay for a service, wants the service, expects it for free, and expects conservatives to pay for their service. Thanks for posting basementdweller. It's typical of demonRat behavior.
Just like a Repuglicant to not want to pay for county services.
This thread became 2 arguments...
That the city should have put out the fire anyway, and that the government in the non-covered area should have negotiated a different contract.
I understand arguing about the way the current arrangements are set up, but I don't understand arguing about the city sticking to its agreed upon policy.
just like a demonRat. won't pay for a service, wants the service, expects it for free, and expects conservatives to pay for their service. Thanks for posting basementdweller. It's typical of demonRat behavior.
Just like a Repuglicant to not want to pay for county services.
My bet: the property insurance carriers in the county coverage area will require that homeowners pay the $75 fee.
My bet: the property insurance carriers in the county coverage area will require that homeowners pay the $75 fee.
just like a demonRat. won't pay for a service, wants the service, expects it for free, and expects conservatives to pay for their service. Thanks for posting basementdweller. It's typical of demonRat behavior.
Just like a Repuglicant to not want to pay for county services.
What ever happened to getting what you pay for? Choice of what, as a home owner, protection you carry?
[Emphasis added] I disagree. The young kid made no attempt to opine at all. S/he let ThinkProgress do his 'thinking' for him.This thread is what happens when a young kid tries opining on issues he's not yet knowledgeable enough in to discuss.
On a related note, I declined to carry auto insurance on my car, and after getting into an accident I attempted to give an insurance company some money to get them to insure my damages...
What do you know...they told me no
[Emphasis added] I disagree. The young kid made no attempt to opine at all. S/he let ThinkProgress do his 'thinking' for him.This thread is what happens when a young kid tries opining on issues he's not yet knowledgeable enough in to discuss.
On a related note, I declined to carry auto insurance on my car, and after getting into an accident I attempted to give an insurance company some money to get them to insure my damages...
What do you know...they told me no
One let's another think for him, and this is what likely will happen.
Just like a Repuglicant to not want to pay for county services.
What ever happened to getting what you pay for? Choice of what, as a home owner, protection you carry?
The problem is the one that happened here. Let's say you choose not to have fire protection and your home burns. That's fine. But then your neighbor, who did pay for fire protection, has to wait and watch his own house catch fire before the flames are put out. That second house never had to be damaged.
Take it a step further. Let's say the first neighbor's home is also not covered. So the fire department sits and waits for another home to catch. And then maybe another. At some point fires become too large to contain without extreme measures. Then what?
It's a big issue in towns like mine, full of 100-year old frame buildings built either as rowhomes or with very little space in between structures. Last year around this time we lost most of a block of the business district to a fire and had several small fires kindle downwind from smoldering debris carried on the breeze. And that was with firefighters able to respond and act immediately.
Which is why it's a public safety issue, not a personal property issue. You can lose a hell of a big chunk of a town to a single fire if it spreads too far before firefighters can get to work.
Could be. Rumor has it that even the most basic understanding of critical thought provides excellent immunity to group-think.[Emphasis added] I disagree. The young kid made no attempt to opine at all. S/he let ThinkProgress do his 'thinking' for him.This thread is what happens when a young kid tries opining on issues he's not yet knowledgeable enough in to discuss.
On a related note, I declined to carry auto insurance on my car, and after getting into an accident I attempted to give an insurance company some money to get them to insure my damages...
What do you know...they told me no
One let's another think for him, and this is what likely will happen.
Is that how thoughts are provided to the borg?
What ever happened to getting what you pay for? Choice of what, as a home owner, protection you carry?
The problem is the one that happened here. Let's say you choose not to have fire protection and your home burns. That's fine. But then your neighbor, who did pay for fire protection, has to wait and watch his own house catch fire before the flames are put out. That second house never had to be damaged.
Take it a step further. Let's say the first neighbor's home is also not covered. So the fire department sits and waits for another home to catch. And then maybe another. At some point fires become too large to contain without extreme measures. Then what?
It's a big issue in towns like mine, full of 100-year old frame buildings built either as rowhomes or with very little space in between structures. Last year around this time we lost most of a block of the business district to a fire and had several small fires kindle downwind from smoldering debris carried on the breeze. And that was with firefighters able to respond and act immediately.
Which is why it's a public safety issue, not a personal property issue. You can lose a hell of a big chunk of a town to a single fire if it spreads too far before firefighters can get to work.
I'm betting in your city/town there isn't an option in paying for fire protection, no?
My bet: the property insurance carriers in the county coverage area will require that homeowners pay the $75 fee.
My bet is that their home owners insurance is already through the roof, especially if they aren't paying for the service.
